Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy Comprises Rare Works from the Vatican and American Museums and Libraries.
On view October 31, 2014–January 25, 2015
NASHVILLE, TN (September 3, 2014)—The Frist Center for the Visual Arts presents Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy, a groundbreaking exhibition of Italian art made between 1250 and 1550. Conceived and organized by Frist Center Curator and Renaissance art historian Trinita Kennedy, it explores the significant role of the Dominicans and Franciscans in the revival of the arts that began in Italy in the thirteenth century and demonstrates how these religious orders fueled the creation of some of the most splendid works of Italian Renaissance art and architecture.
Sanctity Pictured is the first major exhibition to examine the art of the two great orders together during the period in which they were at the height of their power in Italy and had leading artists in their service. Their construction of large churches across Italy, such as San Francesco in Assisi, San Domenico in Bologna and Santa Croce in Florence, created a tremendous demand for art to fill them, and commissions for altarpieces, crucifixes, frescoes, illuminated manuscripts and marble tombs followed. The exhibition tells a wonderfully accessible yet surprisingly underreported story of the rivalry between the Dominicans and Franciscans that is most plainly evident in the iconography of their art and the competing sizes of churches, which served as outward signs of their popularity and power.
“Unlike the medieval monastic orders, such as the Benedictines, which cloistered themselves in the countryside and lived off the income from their property, the Dominicans and Franciscans were city-dwelling mendicant orders—those that depend directly on charity for their livelihood—and interacted with laity,” says Frist Center Curator Trinita Kennedy. “Art became central to their missions and it was through frescoes, illuminated manuscripts, panel paintings, prints and sculptures that the two orders communicated to a broad public their respective theologies and encouraged the veneration of their saints.”
Organized thematically in five galleries, Sanctity Pictured brings together more than sixty works of art, in media ranging from painting and manuscript illumination to bronze medals and printed books, by artists active in Bologna, Florence, Milan, Naples, Siena, Venice and other Italian cities. Among the highlights are the Vatican Museums’ Saint Francis with Four Post-Mortem Miracles, one of only eight Saint Francis vita panels to survive from the thirteenth century; the J. Paul Getty Museum’s Abbey Bible, among the earliest works of art made for the Dominicans; the Allen Memorial Art Museum’s little-known and recently conserved thirteenth-century painting Madonna and Child with Saint Francis sometimes attributed to Duccio di Buoninsegna; and the Getty’s dramatic painting Saint Catherine of Siena Receiving the Stigmata by Domenico Beccafumi.
“The exhibition explores the incredible legacy of Assisi, the ancient hill town in central Italy where Saint Francis lived and where many people consider the Italian Renaissance to have begun with the innovative art and architecture of the Basilica of San Francesco,” says Frist Center Executive Director and CEO Dr. Susan H. Edwards. “With Francis, the patron saint of Italy and animals, as one of the stars, this exhibition will appeal to the general public as well as scholars. It is serendipitous that while we were organizing this show the new pope took the name Francis and renewed interest in this already popular saint.”
Historical Background on the Franciscan and Dominican Orders
The Franciscan order was founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226; canonized 1228). After his death, his followers used images to promote their belief that he was both a unique Christ-like figure and a second Adam at one with nature and animals. They made the extraordinary claims that Francis received the stigmata (the five wounds of Christ’s crucifixion) and that birds miraculously understood him when he preached. The order had a particularly close relationship with the popes, and the exhibition includes a late thirteenth-century choir book likely made for the papal basilica of Saint Peter’s in Rome ornamented with delightful scenes of Saint Francis receiving the stigmata and preaching to the birds. The manuscript has never before traveled to the United States.
The Dominican order was founded in 1216 by Dominic of Caleruega (1170–1221; canonized 1234). Its contribution to the arts in Italy includes manuscripts, such as the Abbey Bible, exquisitely illuminated in Italy’s bookmaking capital of Bologna, and the introduction of innovative tomb design with the Arca of Saint Dominic, carved by Nicola Pisano in about 1264 to 1267. Like Francis, the Dominican saint Catherine of Siena (1347–1380; canonized 1461) was believed to have received the stigmata, and it is indicative of the competition between the two orders that the Franciscans convinced Pope Sixtus IV to prohibit representations of her experiencing the miracle. Beccafumi’s painting of the subject on view in the exhibition is one of the few examples made in the Renaissance.
Audio Guide
To bring the music of the illuminated choir books in the exhibition to life, the Frist Center invited two Nashville choirs, the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and the male a capella group Schola Pacis, to record thirteenth-century chants for the exhibition audio guide, which will also be available at FristArtMuseum.org. The Dominican nuns still sing the same Latin song today on the Feast of Saint Dominic every August. The choir was recorded in their convent church in Nashville. Schola Pacis was recorded at Ocean Way Recording Studios and will perform at the Frist Center this fall.
Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by a 244-page fully illustrated, hardback catalogue published by the Frist Center with Philip Wilson Publishers (London). It is the first major comparative study of the art of the Dominicans and Franciscans in Renaissance Italy. The text consists of six essays and in-depth entries for each work of art in the exhibition. The international team of contributors include Trinita Kennedy, curator, Frist Center for the Visual Arts; Donal Cooper, university lecturer in Italian Renaissance art and fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge; Holly Flora, associate professor, History of Art, Tulane University; Amy Neff, professor, School of Art, University of Tennessee; and Janet Robson, an independent scholar and the co-author with Donal Cooper of the new, highly acclaimed book The Making of Assisi: The Pope, the Franciscans and the Painting of the Basilica (Yale University Press, 2013). The catalogue will be available for purchase in the Frist Center Gift Shop and through booksellers in October 2014.
Lenders
Although much of the art from this period remains in situ in Italy or is in European collections, many significant examples have been entering American museums and libraries since the late nineteenth century. Twenty-eight American museums and libraries, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art and Pierpont Morgan Library, are lending works to the exhibition. For the first time in its history, the Frist Center is borrowing works from the Vatican Library and Vatican Museums.
Symposium
The Frist Center will hold an all-day public symposium on Saturday, January 10, 2015, in the Frist Center Auditorium. The speakers, in addition to Frist Center Curator Trinita Kennedy, will be Donal Cooper, University of Cambridge; Holly Flora, Tulane University; Janet Robson, Independent Scholar; and Christine Sciacca, the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Support
Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy is organized by Trinita Kennedy, curator, Frist Center for the Visual Arts.
This exhibition has been made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Robert Lehman Foundation, and support from the Friends of Italian Art.
Supporting Sponsors: Lynn and Ken Melkus
Hospitality Sponsor: Union Station Hotel
The exhibition catalogue is published with the assistance of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.
Belmont University and Ocean Way Recording Studios donated recording time and professional expertise in the production of the audio tour. Schola Pacis—Nelson Berry, Riley Bryant, Gregg Colson, Rick Seay, Chris Simonsen, and Matt Smyth—and the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia contributed their time and talents to perform the musical selections for the audio tour. Audio engineer Chris Hinson donated his services to record the Dominican Sisters in the Chapel of St. Cecilia.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Public Programs
Friday, October 31
Exhibition Tour: Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy Presented by Holly Flora, associate professor, History of Art, Tulane University
12:00 p.m.
Meet at exhibition entrance
Gallery admission required; members free
Join exhibition catalogue essayist Holly Flora as she examines Italian Renaissance art created for Dominican and Franciscan friars and nuns and their lay followers
Sunday, November 16
Artful Tales: “Saint Francis and the Animals”
1:00–5:30 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium/Studios
Free; seating is first come, first seated
Artful Tales is a free family program geared toward everyone ages three and up. Listen and play along to a funny, endearing, and moving tale about a good man who threw away his fancy clothes to live a simple life helping the misfortunate and befriending animals. This program complements the exhibition Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy and is part of our Free Family Festival Day.
Tuesday, December 2
Tuesday, December 9
Tuesday, December 16
Art History Course: Italian Renaissance Art Presented by Jim Womack, Jackson Family Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Montgomery Bell Academy
5:30–7:00 p.m.
Frist Center Rechter Room
$20 members/$30 non-members (for all three classes)
Advance registration required; call 615.744.3355 before Friday, November 21. Space is limited.
This three-part class for participants age 18 and older introduces the visual language and meanings of the art of the Italian Renaissance within a cultural, historical, political and social context. Spanning two hundred years of art history, this course will chart the rise of humanism within Italy and explore its influence on artists such as Giotto, Donatello and Titian.
Participants will:
• gain an understanding of major movements within Italian art history, 1300–1500;
• become familiar with key works of art, their artists, styles and materials;
• acquire a working knowledge of the vocabulary used in art history;
• learn how to read the meaning of an artwork within a cultural, historical, political and social context.
Saturday, December 6
Family Workshop: “Good as Gold: Creating Gilded Holiday Gifts”
1:00–5:00 p.m.
Frist Center Studios A and C
$50 members/$65 non-members: registration fee includes gallery admission and workshop materials for two adults and two children. Register additional participants for $3.00 each
Recommended for children ages 8+.
Advance registration required; call 615-744-3355 by Friday, November 21. Space is limited.
All that glitters in this program is gold. Work with family members to create unique holiday gifts and family heirlooms using real gold! Experiment with a variety of gilding techniques including water gilding, food gilding, and the use of shell gold. Projects include a gilded frame, hanging ornament, and edible treats. This program connects visitors to the exhibition Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy.
Friday, December 12
Art After Dark: Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy Presented by Keri Jhaveri, youth and family educator
6:30–7:15 p.m.
Meet at the exhibition entrance
Gallery admission required; members free
Reservations recommended, but not required; call 615-744-3355 for reservations.
Enrich your Friday nights. Join in an open-ended discussion in the galleries to heighten your appreciation and understanding of the visual arts by exploring one work of art in depth with an educator in the galleries. The chosen work of art changes every session, making each visit a new experience. Space is limited to 15 participants to encourage visitor participation. Visit http://www.fristcenter.org for additional dates.
Friday, December 19
Film: The Flowers of St. Francis
7:00 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
Gallery admission required; members free
Seating is first come, first seated
In a series of simple and joyous vignettes, director Roberto Rossellini and co-writer Federico Fellini lovingly convey the universal teachings of the People’s Saint: humility, compassion, faith and sacrifice. Gorgeously filmed to evoke the paintings of Saint Francis’s time, and cast with Franciscan friars, The Flowers of St. Francis is a timeless and moving portrait of the search for spiritual enlightenment. This film is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy. Directed by Roberto Rossellini, 1950. Italian with English subtitles. 87 minutes. NR. 35mm.
Saturday, January 10
Public Symposium: Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy
10:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Frist Center Auditorium
$30 members; $40 non-members; $20 students and educators. Registration fee includes gallery admission and a boxed lunch.
The Frist Center will hold a public symposium to coincide with the major exhibition Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy. The all-day event will bring together art historians from America and Europe whose research focuses on the role of the Dominicans and Franciscans in the great flowering of art and architecture in Italy during the period 1200 to 1550. The five speakers will present new scholarship and provide new insight into works of art on view in our galleries. Visit http://www.fristcenter.org/symposium for further information.
Friday, January 16
Curator’s Tour: “Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy” Presented by Trinita Kennedy, curator
Meet at exhibition entrance
7:00 p.m.
Gallery admission required; members free
Early Dominicans and Franciscans used art to tell stories such as Saint Francis preaching to the birds, Saint Dominic’s soul ascending to heaven on ladders extended to earth by Christ and the Virgin and Saint Clare rescuing a child mauled by a wolf. Join Trinita Kennedy, exhibition curator, as she explores how Dominican and Franciscan images encouraged belief in the miraculous in Renaissance Italy.
CONTACT
Buddy Kite: 615-744-3351
Ellen Jones Pryor: 615-243-1311
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About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center’s Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility may be found at http://www.fristcenter.org/accessibility. Gallery admission is free for visitors 18 and younger and to members; $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, military and college students with ID. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5:00–9:00 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling 615.744.3247. The galleries, Café and Gift Shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. and Sundays, 1:00–5:30 p.m., with the Café opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling 615.244.3340 or by visiting our website at http://www.fristcenter.org.
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